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Choosing the correct
shower tray for your application |
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| The size, shape, construction and positioning
of the shower tray is a crucial part of the overall design of
the bath or shower room. There are three different types of
material used for shower tray manufacture: |
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Ceramic/fireclay
This is the material used to make Belfast sinks or urinal
slabs. The trays are of high quality, heavy, and often found
in commercial applications where frequent use and heavy wear
is a requirement.
 Buy
shower trays at discount prices online
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Resin-stone
A stone material is mixed with resin and poured into moulds
lined with a face material e.g gel coat and left to set. These
trays are solid and offer the compromise between the heavier
ceramic/fireclay products, and the lightweight acrylic trays.
Buy
shower trays at discount prices online |
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Acrylic
The same material as used for acrylic baths. Lightweight
usually around 4.5mm thick and reinforced with wood. The key
benefit of acrylic is that it allows a greater flexibility
in the products design, both aesthetically and features that
provide water tightness and is warmer to the touch.
Buy
shower trays at discount prices online |
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| Shower trays come in a variety of different sizes
and configurations, when you take into account the plug hole
positions, upstands, left hand, right hand etc. The most commonly
found shapes available on the market today are as follows. |
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| Flat top & up stand shower trays
When choosing a shower tray consider that, European bathrooms
are generally 'wet' environments with tiled floors and often
a drain to the floor, where as UK bathrooms tend to be 'dry'
and often carpeted it is or this reason that many overseas
enclosures are not designed to be totally watertight. |
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Traditional flat top shower trays are often prone
to leaking where the panel or door in particular meets the tray,
silicon is used to create the initial panel seal but the effectiveness
of this often reduces over time. |
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The alternative is trays that have 'up stands'
that can be tiled over to form an effective permanent seal,
these are ideal if you are fitting upstairs and can't afford
the risk of leaks.
Most manufacturers now supply a range of shower trays with
upstands. However one problem identified with conventional
upstand trays is that a dirt trap is formed between the upstand
and the edge of the shower tray and the enclosure frame. |
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The solution is the Coram waterguard tray. On
the wall edges there is a conventional tiling upstand and on
the other edges there is a smooth angled rim, which ensures
water tightness but is easy to wipe clean. |
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| Shower tray installation There
are two types of installation:
Most standard trays are designed to be installed straight
on to a solid floor provided the waste outlet can be accommodated;
but the tray must be bedded and sealed into position as per
the manufacturers instructions. Where the tray needs to be
raised to accommodate the waste, a wooden frame needs to be
built to support the tray off the floor; again the tray must
be bedded and sealed into position as per the manufacturers
instructions. Care needs to be taken with these trays to ensure
that they are level and that the overall height allows sufficient
room for the screen to be fitted above. |
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The Riser tray has adjustable feet attached to
the bottom of the tray. This simplifies installation, though
the feet must be located on a firm level surface, these trays
tend to be more expensive. |
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Care needs to be taken with these trays to
ensure that they are level and that the overall height allows sufficient
room for the screen to be fitted. Most shower tray manufacturers provide
detachable panels, if required, these allow easy access to the underneath
of the tray, should any problems occur with the waste system. (see the
exploded view shower-tray above).
Buy
shower trays at discount prices online |
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